Reddit reviews The Plot Genie Index

Plot Genie Index: http://www.amazon.com/Plot-Genie-Index-Wycliffe-Hill/dp/1503255948

Pretty interesting. Looks like it was written by Wycliffe A. Hill. It's a book for plot ideas basically. From 1936.

I just recently picked up Plotto and a few of The Plot Genie series of books, writer's aids from around the 1930s.

The Plot Genie books will feel more familiar, having lists with 180 numbered entries each. A cardboard disc randomiser was originally used to generate results.

The Plot Genie Index book has lists for:

Locations

Usual Male Characters

Unusual Male Characters

Usual Female Characters

Unusual Female Characters

Problems (six lists)

Obstacles to Love

Complications

Predicaments

Crises

Climax or Surprise Twists

Genre specific Plot Genie books have additional lists suited to that genre.

Another book I picked up, Plotto Genie: The Endless Story, combines aspects from both systems and has interesting Attribute (ex, arrogant, bigoted, but generous) and Motives (ex, vengeance against a deserter) lists for Good Guys, Bad Guys, and Helpers. This book might be the better choice to investigate for gaming utility.

Plotto is a bit of a different beast, giving plot idea seeds (1,462 entries, some with variations) and giving suggestions for type of characters involved (relationship to each other) as well as possible preceding and subsequent seed ideas. These could be used to flesh out a characters history as well.

Note that interpretation is still necessary (and encouraged!) and that these are from an earlier time.

I have not made a judgement yet as to how useful these may be to me for gaming, but my early reaction is that I like them.

Here is a link where you can preview a bit of the Plotto Genie book,

https://books.google.com/books?id=lbQ7DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=plotto+genie+the+endless+story&source=bl&ots=uR8jdk0kZq&sig=PH8HEOIUiA2i_FWrP2Oz8VTCdRM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiyo5OI0rneAhUNk1kKHSZoC78Q6AEwEHoECAAQAQ#v=onepage&q=plotto%20genie%20the%20endless%20story&f=false

Here is The Plot Genie Index at Amazon,

https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Genie-Index-Wycliffe-Hill/dp/1503255948

Here is a little write-up about using Plotto, from Roleplaying Tips,

https://www.roleplayingtips.com/adventure-building/plotto-for-plot-conflicts/

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Seems to be this book: The Plot Genie Index
http://www.amazon.com/Plot-Genie-Index-Wycliffe-Hill/dp/1503255948
A book about ideas to write movie plots.

What I was able to find was this, a writers manual for pulp stories

http://www.amazon.com/Plot-Genie-Index-Wycliffe-Hill/dp/1503255948